


I've Been Waiting

by orphan_account



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Exes to Lovers, Fake AH Crew, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23434072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Ryan got out of the car to greet them, throwing a cautionary glance at Sheba to see if she was okay. He saw Gavin stop for a second, he could see the hurt in him and hated everything about it. There was a single tear sliding down his face that the girl was trying to wipe away, there were more tears welling up in his eyes while Michael and Jeremy started catching up with each other.orRats ruin everything
Relationships: Gavin Free/Ryan Haywood
Comments: 4
Kudos: 42





	I've Been Waiting

It started with a rat, as most things do. Someone in b-team, someone who had defected and became a spy for the Vagos. A dirty lowlife desperate for any semblance of power, clinging onto the heels of their desperate rivals. It started with someone so blind to what they could have been that they left the Fakes in ruins. They had tried to ruin them, spilt their plans to their contact. Every heist turned into a war, every fight left someone hurt. They couldn’t afford to keep going the way they were. 

Everyone on the b-team remembers the yelling between Geoff and Ryan, they saw Gavin clinging onto Ryan and telling him to stop, saw Jack trying to get between the venom that flowed between their mouths. B-team remembers the downfall well, they can vividly see Ryan pushing Geoff to the floor, the veins popping out of his arms as he strode out the building, Gavin hopelessly following. 

It started with a rat, it started with someone carrying a plague. It ended with a sickness, it ended with the spirit of the crew dying. 

\-- -- -- 

That was how the b-team had seen it. Explosive, genuine. They had all sworn to not say a word to anyone about their theatrics, they could not trust a single person on their team and refused to even entertain the thought of telling anyone. Word travelled too fast in Los Santos, names and stories travelled down alleys and into the ears of those waiting. They couldn’t afford to have their plan foiled by a slip-up. 

B-team had seen them move out gradually, Michael with Gavin, Ryan with Jeremy, Jack with Geoff. All separate vehicles filled to the brim with suitcases and travel bags. They hadn’t seen what happened inside the penthouse. They hadn’t seen the hugs, their last night of camaraderie before they went their separate ways. 

They hadn’t seen Gavin and Ryan’s last morning together. They ate coffee and shared pancakes, stayed together as much as they could. They knew they couldn’t afford to be together, they didn’t even know the next time they would see one another again. It was a difficult morning for everyone, hugs and words were shared in the sanctity of the penthouse. Ryan and Gavin had shared one last kiss before departing. One last kiss before they spent an eternity without each other. 

\-- -- -- 

Lives felt changed after the crew disbanded. It was temporary. The only mantra keeping them sane. 

They had all moved, spread out with their closest friend. They had decided to be completely away from one another, disappearing to different coasts until everything blew over. It had started with Jack and Geoff in Washington, they weren’t seeking out crime like the others were, they took the opportunity to just exist for a bit. No one was hunting them, no police were trying to kill them, no rival crews trying to squash everything they had built up over the years. 

Jeremy and Ryan ended up in Atlanta, Ryan was vying for a taste of home and Jeremy hadn’t felt a pull to New England since he was a teenager. They had started off with small work, robbing gas stations to get by, mugging people in the street and doing whatever they could that was off the radar. Ryan hated gas stations, when they were looting food he’d see Gavin’s favourite candy and deflate at the thought of Gavin, not by his side. Sometimes he’d still turn around expecting to be blinded by gold and highlighter only to be met with a space that needed to be filled. He was waiting to be able to move past the petty crimes, not for the money but for Gavin to get out of his mind. 

Michael and Gavin had gone the furthest, New York City. It hadn’t been for the glamour, only the contacts. Allies that had moved out of Los Santos, sick of the glamour and wanting something more. No one ever said what more was, only left the word hanging in the air. They didn’t care what more they were searching for, only that Los Santos was never enough. 

It was why the Fakes had loved Los Santos so much. People were driven out by their desire to be more powerful, their desire to exist in somewhere that met their standards. People had fought them several times and lost, they had never had a hope of having control. Crews were weeded out by the simple fact that they weren’t enough to succeed there, Los Santos had always been the Fakes powerhouse - now it felt like they had to rebuild again. 

— — —

Life without Los Santos bored everyone. Gavin and Michael had turned to do whatever they could to erase the monotony of NYC. Their lives seemed to blur in a sea of grey. When Gavin saw his red eyes in the mirror he still couldn’t see the colour, when Michael looked at a new bullet wound it only seemed dull. 

They’d turned to the mafias for fun. People who claimed to be related to famous mobsters, the pizzerias were all the same around there, a coverup, a scheme. They’d robbed as many as they could, each time they would wind up people who were barely worth their time. These people would throw around names, try to push their weight around and cause fear. They named bosses that had been dead for years, claimed to be descendants of people who had never even had children. It was their main cause of excitement, watching people who had probably never shot a gun themselves try to intimidate them. 

It was when they were planning on leaving they finally met their purpose. It was a pizzeria downtown, it sat on the corner overlooked by looming buildings and several other businesses. A clear mob hut. A playhouse for the both of them. 

The place was deserted when they entered, each table shining with a new layer of wax and the only sign of life being the girl behind the register. She looked bored for the most part, her face a flat line as she stared at the counter. Her black hair fell straight on both sides of her face, partially covered by a generic snapback. She didn’t seem like she was in a crew. 

When the door slammed she jolted up, Gavin noticed there was panic when it happened. When he raised his gun she opened the register immediately, all the other places had put up a fight, and had tried to protect their hideouts with their life. Gavin knew immediately that this wasn’t a teenager trying to gain roots. This was a hostage. 

He raised his hand, telling Michael to stop his aim. They barely used signals between them, they were so in tune with one another that they barely needed cues to direct each other. 

She stepped back when they stopped, Gavin put the safety back on his gun and shoved it back into his waist belt. He nodded at her and put his hands up. Michael mirrored, watching as Gavin read the situation more in-depth. 

“Are you okay?” Gavin asked. He tried to keep the concern in his voice to a minimum, he didn’t want to be vulnerable. 

The girl shook her head, she hadn’t made a single noise the entire time they were there. No fight, no scream, not a single peep. 

“Do you want us to get you out of here?” He asked. 

She nodded. Still keeping her voice to herself. 

“Where’s the camera? And the files?”

She pointed singularly at the camera. Michael nodded and got his gun out again, quickly killing it and making sure he found the SD card in the rubble that followed. 

The girl quivered but Gavin just nodded at her, he gestured to the door making sure he didn’t see anyone in plain clothes through the window at the front. 

When everything seemed clear, they took her with them. 

— — —

Jack and Geoff had been similar to Gavin and Michael, Geoff had always been fond of strays. He liked to find people on the street and turn them into expert killers, feed them, clothe them, shelter them and they’ll do whatever they need to keep your hospitality. 

Geoff had never collected strays for the hold it gave over them, he just hated seeing them everywhere. They clogged up alleys and tried to steal his things, it only made him want to protect them more and more. Geoff wanted the strays so they would be safe, he’d built his crew on strays, gave so many of them food and a place to stay and that was all it had taken for them to want to repay him. 

Gavin had been his favourite stray, they had met when Geoff had barely any money to his name, his flat was on the most awful side of town and Gavin had no reason to want to go with him. They had bonded over nothing, games they used to play before they ended up in Los Santos, exes, high school. Gavin over the years had slowly become his son more and more, he’d wiggled his way into Geoff’s heart and filled something he didn’t know he needed. 

There weren’t strays in Washington like there were in Los Santos, there were no people to help that they could see. It felt weird to not be helping anyone off of the street for once in his life. They had adopted a stray though, an old cat called Marmalade. Jack had named the cat, insisting its skin was orange enough to be marmalade and Geoff had never been one to argue with Jack. 

The cat was grumpy at best, it curled up under their TV stand and sometimes sat in the window rubbing its paw against the glass. It wasn’t their usual stray, it wasn’t a teenager with ratty hair and a knife made from scrap metal, it was a grumpy elderly cat who Jack adored. That’s all that Geoff cared about. 

— — — 

Ryan and Jeremy had never been as fond as strays as the others. Michael and Gavin had come to the crew due to Geoff’s hospitality, Geoff had always been the one to pick up someone off the street and send them off for a new life. Ryan and Jeremy had never been strays though, they had been contacted to join for their skills, they didn’t have the connection that everyone else had. 

They were, however, fond of dogs. Jeremy had been shot multiple times just so he wouldn’t shoot a dog, Ryan had a dog when he first started out in his career. Ryan’s dog had been his only friend until he had the crew, the only other living being that had ever cared about his emotions and enjoyed his company. Dogs were innocent creatures and Jeremy had always refused to hear anything different. 

It had been no surprise when they had inevitably taken in a dog they had found limping on the side of the road. A border collie lovingly named Sheba. She followed Jeremy all over their small apartment, she would sometimes jump on him when he was still for long enough. 

These men, all so far away from one another still seemed to live their lives in parallel. 

— — — 

It was no shock the boys got bored fast. They had nothing for them no matter where they went. It had only taken Michael and Gav a few months to realise why their contacts had moved. They were their distributors, they took the drugs and then moved them around and then they got a percentage of the money earned. It was boring, it was tiresome and the people they were forced to meet with looked so desperate it was heartbreaking. Gavin wanted to ring Geoff after his last meeting of the night and beg him to stop this trade. 

They moved eventually, at first they stayed in state. They moved around border cities, there was nothing appealing there. They stayed in old cabins surrounded in greenery and nature yet it was still boring. They would sit on the sofa day in day out, they would reminisce about the days when the heists meant something- when they would stay up late making sure every single situation was accounted for and that their safehouse was ready before they made any major moves. Fiona would talk about how dirty the mafia was for keeping her in New York - how her 2 am’s had been filled with fear and the need to escape. Gavin and Michael wanted their version of 2 am back- when Gavin would lay his head on Ryan’s shoulder, Ryan’s arm wrapped around him as he nearly dozed off. Michael wanted to talk about explosions with Jeremy again, the different types of bomb they would need to blow open the vault and the adrenaline at the thought of a new heist. 

It felt like life had been tormenting them ever since the rat had shown up, the Vagos little spy that had ruined them all. Gavin had never realised how true that sentiment was until they had gone to Oklahoma. 

\-- -- -- 

Ryan wasn’t fond of Oklahoma, it was either too crowded or too barren without a middle ground. The sun was too dry and the air didn’t feel quite right. He made sure he and Jeremy weren’t moving there for a reason. They were passing through to go to Kansas, another place that felt like it had nothing for them. 

They were planning on stopping overnight in a hotel in Oklahoma City, they wanted to be out and done with it as much as possible. They had pulled over at 7-11 to get supplies when Ryan noticed 3 people walking out the store, there was a girl with 2 familiar faces, when Ryan realised who it was Jeremy was already out the door yelling at them. 

“Gav! Michael! Over here!” Jeremy yelled. He started moving towards them and waving. 

Ryan saw Gavin look at him and deflate, Michael saw the two of them and started running in their direction. The girl hung back with Gavin, arm around his shoulder while she balanced everything in her arms precariously.

Ryan got out of the car to greet them, throwing a cautionary glance at Sheba to see if she was okay. He saw Gavin stop for a second, he could see the hurt in him and hated everything about it. There was a single tear sliding down his face that the girl was trying to wipe away, there were more tears welling up in his eyes while Michael and Jeremy started catching up with each other. 

Ryan leaned in on himself against the car, he didn’t want to see Gavin so sad, hated when Gavin would be sad in any capacity - this time it was Ryan’s fault that Gavin was so close to crying, that somehow made everything so much worse. 

It was when Gavin started to hiccup Ryan started to lose control. He tapped Jeremy on the shoulder and pointed at the 7-11, reminding him they needed supplies. He nodded and quickly told Michael they needed to rush in before they went to their hotel. Michael nodded and said something about hoping he’d see them soon. 

When they were about to split up, Ryan nodded his head towards Gavin, trying to show Michael he was upset. Ryan had no words to say to anyone there, he didn’t think he could muster up a single word to anyone. 

When they started to leave Ryan made a small nod at Gavin, he quirked his lips up a little bit. A sign of hope - a sign that they could get through this. He hoped Gavin saw it that way. 

\-- -- -- 

They were driving for what felt like all night, they kept searching for a motel as they made their way to Denver. Fiona had ended up in the back playing with the phone they had picked up for her a few hours earlier, Michael had his eyes firmly on the road, waiting for a sign pointing to somewhere they could stay. Gavin kept shaking. 

His eyes were red and his fingers were bitten red raw, there was still a quiver to his lips and a shiver in his fingertips. He was yet to cry properly, stray tears had fallen from his face and every now and then a sob would pass through his lips, making itself known. Michael hated to watch his best friend distraught knowing there was nothing he could do to help his heartache. 

It had all come to a head when they were finally in their room, their bags were dumped all over the floor, exhaustion had set into everyone from the long travel when Gavin had finally hit the breaking point. He threw himself onto the bed in a fit of sobs and tears, it filled the air, this misery he had been carrying for months exploded in front of them. 

Michael had been the first to respond, trying to comfort his best friend with a hug and the offer to blow something up for him if he wanted a distraction. That was when Fiona had him around the head. 

“He doesn’t need a distraction, dumbass,” Fiona said, “He needs comfort. Give me a minute.”

Gavin wasn’t responding to the situation at all, losing himself in his own despair. Michael didn’t know what to do, he had never seen Gavin completely lose it before. He’d been complaining about Ryan nearly the whole trip yet it had felt like impatience then, it didn’t feel like Gavin had been heartbroken, Michael had only thought Gavin wanted Ryan back. Michael still forgot that people don’t always show how they’re feeling. 

It didn’t take long for Fiona to get back, 2 bottles of wine and a bunch of snacks in hand. She went over to where Gavin was and dumped everything next to him, taking the lid off and drinking it straight from the bottle. 

“You wanna get drunk and talk to me?” She asked. Gavin nodded and reached for the other bottle, taking a long sip and sighing. Michael made himself comfortable on the sofa, knowing it was going to be a long night for him. 

\-- -- 

“Th-this is Ivy,” Fiona hiccuped, the wine bottle had barely anything left and she had started looking through her purse for photos, “We were gonna get married.” 

Gavin pulled his phone out and started tapping, he showed Fiona something on his phone and sighed sadly. “This is Ryan, he said he’d love me forever ‘n now I don’t get to see him anymore.” 

“He’s the guy from the parking lot!” Fiona screamed, “Is that why you’re sad Gav?” 

Gavin nodded while he threw his phone to the side. He moved back to sitting cross-legged with his head in his hands. 

“You wanna see the dresses we were gonna wear?” She asked, going back to her purse to look for more pictures and drawings she’d kept. “I made them, and then I was forced to break up with her.” 

Gavin looked at the white dresses, decorated with gold lining and flowers. He smiled at her, knowing it hurt to talk about this. 

“Th-there’s this one photo of Ryan and me, we’ve got these suits on and we look like we’re gonna get married. That’s the one thing we always wanted to do, never got the ring but we used to talk about it a lot,” Gavin sighed fondly, feeling the tears build in him again. Thinking about Ryan hurt a lot. 

“Gav,” Fiona sighed, she moved towards him to give him a hug and that’s how they stayed for the rest of the night. 

\-- -- -- 

When Ryan and Jeremy had gotten to their hotel that same night Ryan had flipped out. Ryan and Gavin had always been different emotionally, Gavin’s emotions were always more peaceful, he had always been so passive and non-confrontational. Ryan never seemed to be able to escape his anger no matter what he did. 

The minute their stuff was in the room Ryan had pulled his phone and tried to call Geoff. He had spammed the call until he picked up, not wanting his words to be lost. 

“This has to stop Geoff.” 

“Ryan, it’s the middle of the night,” Geoff groaned. 

“I don’t care, this has to stop Geoff,” Ryan snapped. The picture of Gavin on the verge of tears was flashing in his mind, it had filled him with so much anger to see that this was tearing apart the only person he had ever cared about. “I saw Gavin today, he was nearly crying. I can’t do this, have you even checked on the Vagos?” 

“Wait what’s wrong with Gavin-” Geoff started. 

“Gavin’s upset, I’m upset, you’re going to break this fucking crew apart if this doesn’t stop soon. What happened to watching the Vagos like a hawk until we could go back? It’s been 8 months and I can’t take this separation anymore!” 

“Ryan calm down-”

  
“Have you been watching the Vagos, Geoff?” 

“Well-” 

“Answer the damn question.” 

“No,” Geoff sighed dejectedly, “I stopped months ago, the peace was nice!” 

“I want Gavin back Geoff, I want this crew back and I want my life back.” Ryan seethed down the phone. When he hung up he flopped onto the bed, Jeremy staring at him in awe. 

“Ryan!” Jeremy shrieked in surprise, “That’s our boss!”

  
“He also needed the reminder, I can’t live like this anymore.” 

\-- -- -- 

It took time for the signal, a month had passed since Ryan had called Geoff, the last time he had spoken to someone in the crew who wasn’t Jeremy. It was a simple enough signal, Geoff and Jack under a tree with no leaves kissing with the caption “I’ve Been Waiting.” 

It seemed innocent enough, a simple photo with a cheesy caption. No one else would see it as a call for action, the downfall of a crew who had been vying for an empire. A photo with a million layers, the one thing they had been waiting for for 9 months. 

Geoff and Jack had been the first pair back in Los Santos, Geoff had left the second the photo was uploaded, making sure that Marmalade was okay in his pet carrier. The sun had seemed to be shining more that day, the long drive illuminated by strong rays. The air felt light as they returned, Jack’s sweet laughter filling the car as they drove. Geoff felt adoration when he looked at her, it was time to get their little family back. 

Gavin and Michael had been the next to get to Los Santos. They hadn’t told Jack and Geoff about Fiona, they knew they’d let her stay if she was a stray. Their drive had been quiet, Gavin smiling as he stared at his phone while Michael tried to get back as quickly as he could drive. Fiona stared out the window as they drove, watching the buildings disappear as they continued down highway after highway. It had taken them nearly a full day of driving to get home yet all their adrenaline kept them going. 

Ryan and Jeremy had been the last to get there. Their drive took over a day so Jeremy could sleep. Sheba had been barking in the back, tail wagging for what seemed like the whole drive. The signal had taken a long time, the way home had taken an age. Time didn’t matter though, they were back. 

\-- -- -- 

It had only taken a few days for their plans against the Vagos. They were weak from running the city, fights for territory, traitors working their way through their ranks to help support their own crews, it all came to them nearly collapsing. 

Their leader had been crumbling, they could see it in the way the members talked. They had been stupid to not realise the Fakes were coming back, they had eyes and ears in every corner - they had been stupid to trust the people who had started to join them again. The Fakes were determined to make them fall, they were going to make them fall hard. 

\-- -- -- 

Shootouts were never an efficient way to do things - Ryan thought - they were messy and cops always ended up coming to check out where gunshots were heard. It was always easier to take down a crew from the inside out. Sadly, the Fakes had ended up needing their guns anyway. 

Their most trusted members of B-team had started doing work they had got back, convincing people that there were always more opportunities, there were rumours about the Fakes returning, they did everything in their power to get them weak. It still didn’t help them when it got dirty. 

The bullets had started flying early on, so many misses and grazes that the Fakes were smirking as they shot. It was ruthless, blood lined the walls of the Vagos hideout before they were all dead. It nearly felt unfair, until they nearly shot Gavin. 

The bullet barely missed, right past his ear and into the wall behind him. Ryan froze for a second, seeing Gavin stare for a second at where the shooter had come from, they could’ve killed him. 

When he snapped out of it he couldn’t stop anymore, he couldn’t feel the pity anymore. He wanted them dead. He stopped going easy, stopped teasing and fell into the Vagabond role he was used to. He knew his eyes were going blank the second he shot someone in the chest, he knew the crew were watching as he kept shooting without thought. It was always dangerous to fall completely into the persona he had built for himself, this time they deserved everything they got. 

\-- -- -- 

When they got to the penthouse Gavin looked shaken up, he had a look in his eyes that no one could quite pin down. They were used to Gavin’s various stares, the difference between his mischief and his happiness, the difference between his sadness and his annoyance. It was rare to see Gavin looking in a way they didn’t understand, it was rare that Gavin had emotions they didn’t all understand. 

Ryan knew it was fear when Gavin darted into his room, some of his stuff was in there but a lot of it had been left in the hall, Ryan knew he wasn’t going to get anything, he needed familiarity. He had only seen Gavin scared like this once before, when they heard about the rat, when they were formulating the plans about leaving. The last time he had seen Gavin this scared it was because Gavin didn’t know what would happen to his life. 

Ryan remembered. Ryan didn’t want to see Gavin like that ever again. He went to Gavin’s room, knocking gently on the door so he wouldn’t shock Gavin too much. 

“Gav?” Ryan asked. He got barely a hum in response, a sound of acknowledgement and nothing more. “You okay?”

He went in to see Gavin curled up on the bed, pillow trapped between his arms while he quivered. 

“Please go away,” Gavin spoke. His voice was shaking with him, Ryan knew he wouldn’t be able to leave Gavin alone even if he was threatened. 

“No,” Ryan stepped into the room even more, “I didn’t leave you alone last time, I’m not leaving you alone now.” 

“Last time we were dating,” Gavin sat up a bit, clinging onto the pillow for an anchor, “Now this is the first time we’ve spoken properly in 9 months.” 

“This is the first time we’ve had the time to speak in 9 months,” Ryan corrected.

“We’re still not dating,” Gavin groaned. Ryan wanted to stop the shaking in his arms, wanted to grab Gavin’s hands and still them - watching Gavin scared killed him inside. 

“I still love you, Gavin.” 

Gavin inhaled sharply when Ryan said that, not wanting to think about how much his heart was hurting. 

“Why didn’t you tell me that in the car park?” 

“I didn’t know when we’d see each other,” Ryan sighed, “Gavin that bullet made me realise I can’t go another fucking day without you.” 

Gavin groaned, throwing the pillow to the side of the bed. He got up, legs unsteady as he moved. 

“Just fucking kiss me.” 

\-- -- -- 

A few weeks later Fiona was on the penthouse sofa texting a girl she’d met at a club, Sheba was laying on the floor chewing on a dog stick and Marmalade was curled up in her lap. She was making date arrangements while she heard yelling and screaming coming from Ryan’s room. 

No more than a minute later Gavin ran out with Ryan’s jacket on, giggling like a maniac.

“Gavin,” Ryan yelled, the laughter in his voice present, “I need my jacket!”

“Come and get it then!” Gavin yelled. He edged his way out of the hallway to their rooms, trying to see if Ryan was going to come and get him. 

Fiona kept messaging this girl tiredly while Gavin started running, she looked up from her phone when she heard loud thuds and saw Ryan running across the room. 

“Give it back!”

“Ryan!” Gavin shrieked, he ran towards the kitchen until he realised he was in a corner. 

Fiona heard a loud “Got you!” from behind her, she tried to zone out but knew they were being too loud for her to actually manage that. 

She looked up when they were quiet and saw Gavin pinned against the counter, Ryan’s hands were wrapped around his waist, keeping Gavin completely breathless. When she saw Ryan lean down to kiss Gavin she began to fake throwing up. 

“Y’all have a room, for the love of all that is holy please use it.” 

“Like you don’t do this when whatsername’s over,” Gavin retorted. 

“Her name is Rose!” Fiona groaned. 

The penthouse was different. The new strays, the new chemistry, weird dynamics between all of them. Everything had changed over the 9 months they’d disappeared, they changed. Geoff and Jack were more comfortable around each other in front of the crew, Michael and Jeremy had become attached at the hip, Gavin and Ryan never took each other for granted. Things had changed, the change didn't feel as bad anymore. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm taking requests now! The official post will be up on my tumblr soon but I will be taking most prompts (slightly NSFW prompts are allowed but please note any Explicit fics I write will be locked to ao3 users only - also leave prompts for the soulmate series because I really want to continue it) 
> 
> As always comments and kudos are appreciated, follow @goldenboy-gav on tumblr and I'll see you after I post my next fic!


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